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My beloved brethren and children in Christ,

"With great joy does Christ fill our hearts this day by His Resurrection, not only because He gives us the gladness of this day, but because He has also given us salvation through His Passion, immortality through His death, healing for our wounds, and resurrection from our fall." These words were spoken by Saint Proclus, the Patriarch of Constantinople (434-446).

This same theme of joy is found throughout all the hymnology of the Church when it speaks of our Saviour’s Resurrection:

All things are filled with gladness, having received the proof of the Resurrection. For Mary Magdalene came unto the tomb; she found an Angel in resplendent apparel sitting upon the stone and saying: Why seek ye the Living among the dead? He is not here, but He is risen, even as He said; and He doth go on before into Galilee.

(Praises of Sunday Matins, Third Tone)

And elsewhere:

For meet it is that the Heavens should rejoice, and that the earth should be glad, and that the whole world, both visible and invisible, should keep the feast; for Christ, our everlasting Joy, hath arisen.

(Canon of Holy Pascha, Ode One)

For Orthodox Christians, this joy can never be taken away. Indeed, not only can it not be taken away, but we long that we will be counted worthy that it may increase for us infinitely forever. As we chant with the words of Saint John of Damascus:

Yet, although our longing and joy remain abiding, we also feel sorrow at the realization that there are many who call themselves Christians — including even clergy — who have lost their faith in Christ’s bodily resurrection. This includes not only the ministers and members of mainline Protestant denominations, but even Roman Catholic bishops, priests, monastics, and professors of theology.

For example, Weekend Australia, a Roman Catholic periodical in Australia, begins one of its articles as follows:

This is a story about the Roman Catholic Church, and whether it any longer has any beliefs which are sacred.

The article reports that one Dr. Coffey, the head of systematic theology at St. Patrick’s Seminary (the oldest and most important Roman Catholic seminary in Australia), expressed his opinion that "there could be any number of explanations for the empty tomb. One would be that, despite the attention of the women (which may not be historical), the tomb was not the right one. Perhaps, as a result of the community’s faith in the resurrection, an empty tomb was produced, and the story of the women created to authenticate it. . ."

The article notes that the local Roman Catholic ecclesiastical authorities took no action on this matter, either privately or publicly. Furthermore, other official Roman Catholic periodicals supported Dr. Coffey’s blasphemous views. As a result, the Weekend Australia article concluded:

On the basis of this evidence, many — perhaps most — Roman Catholic priests do not believe in the physical resurrection of Christ, the central defining doctrine of the Church.

As sad as this news is, what makes it even sadder and more serious is that many clergy and theologians of "World Orthodoxy" are showing great zeal in seeking through "theological consultations" to change the date of Orthodox Pascha so that they may celebrate it with these unbelieving individuals!

Although it is necessary that a more extensive statement concerning this development be made in the near future, suffice it for now to say that all pious and godly Orthodox Christians will resolutely reject this latest proposed violation of our holy Faith by supposedly "Orthodox" clergy. This is yet another reason why we cannot have any communion whatsoever with such wolves in sheep’s clothing.

For Orthodox Christians, the joy in our Redeemer’s triumph over death and corruption remains unmitigated, and we exult in "the power of His resurrection" (Phil. 3:10). Saint John Chrysostom asks:

What is "the power of His resurrection"? Saint Paul tells us that we have been shown a new kind of resurrection. Many dead men on many occasions arose before Christ did. But no one ever arose as Christ did. For all the others who arose returned into the earth again. Even though they were freed from the tyranny of death for a time, they were led back again under its sway. But when the body of the Lord arose, it did not return into the earth again but went up to Heaven and destroyed all the tyranny of the enemy. And, along with Himself, Christ made the whole world arise and now He is seated on the royal throne.

(On the Incomprehensible Nature of God, Homily Two, 44)

With the gladsome voice of the Church, we also rejoice in spirit and chant:

When they who were with Mary came, anticipating the dawn, and found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, they heard from the Angel: Why seek ye among the dead, as though He were mortal man, Him Who abideth in everlasting light? Behold the grave-clothes. Go quickly and proclaim to the world that the Lord is risen, and hath put death to death. For He is the Son of God, Who saveth the race of man.

(Hypakoë of Pascha)

My beloved Orthodox Christians:

Your fervent suppliant unto God,

X Ephraim, Metropolitan of Boston